Retractor for amputation purposes



Aug. 18} 1925. 1,550,403

E. N. TURKUS RETRACTOR FOR AMPUTATION PURPOSES Filed April 9, 1924INVENTOR B N. Tbrkps Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES EDWARD NEWTON TUEKUS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BETRACTOR FOR AMIUTA'IION PURPOSES.

Application filed April 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD NEWTON TURKUS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Retractorsfor Amputation Purposes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to surgical retracrtors adapted particularly foruse in the amputation of the legs or arms of the body, an object of theinvention being to provide an improved instrument of this characterwhich will 'be relatively simple in construc tion, easily andconveniently manipulated by the surgeon, readily adjusted over the boneof the member to be amputated, and which may be employed to effectuallyretract or hold back the flesh from the point where the bone is to besawed.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved retractorfor amputation purposes comprising a pair of relatively swinging platesor jaws correspondingly notched at adjacent edges thereof and soconstructed that they may be swung into position to embrace the bone,readily adjusted to conform to the size of the bone, or to embrace thebones of the forearm, and wherein the device is provided with handles soconstructed in an improved manner as to enable the instrument to bemanipulated readily and efliciently.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims thereof, reference bein had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification wherein like ref erencecharacters indicate correspondingparts in the several views and whereinFig. 1 is a plan view illustrating an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2is a side view of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a viewillustrating the device in operative position; Fig. 1- is a perspectiveview of one of the pivoted jaws; and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section ofthe jaw shown in Fig. 4, illustrating the fastening devices.

Before explaining in detail the present improvement and mode ofoperation thereof it is desired to have it understood that the inventionis not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of partswhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the inventionis capable of 1924. Serial No. 705,207.

other embodiments, and that the phraseology which is employed is for thepurpose of description and not of limitation.

In its present preferred form herein shown and described the presentinvention comprises a pair of metal plates or members 9 and 10 which areswingingly connected together in overlapping relation and so constructedthat they may be swung into position to embrace the bone of the limb tobe amputated. As illustrated each of the members or plates 9 and 10 maybe correspondingly semi-circular in shape, forming when pivoted togetherat one end, an elongated or substantially semi-circular opening 11 forthe reception of the bone. These plates are thus substantially U-shapedin construction, and owing to their overlapping meeting ends thebone-receivingopening can be varied in its diameter to fit differentsizes of limb bones.

The plates 9 and 10 are pivotally connected together in overlappingrelation, one end 13 of the plate 10 being superimposed upon thecorresponding end 14 of the plate 9, and pivoted together at 15. Theplates 9 and 10 are thus constructed to form swinging jaws which may bereadily swung toward and from each other. It will be seen that when theplates are shifted together, the end 16 of the plate 10 will be shiftedto overlap the end 17 of the plate 9, and in the present constructionmeans is provided for adjusting the ends 16 and 17 together in differentpositions. A curved open slot 18 is formed in the free end 16 of theplate or jaw 10, and the plate 9 is provided adjacent to the free endthereof with a projecting pin 19 which is threaded to receive a wing nut20 which is preferably held in position against removal from the pin 19by upsetting the outer end of the pin. The free end 17 of the plate orjaw 9 is also provided with a pin 21 having a squared portion 21 and arelatively wide flat head 22. From this construction it will be seenthat upon swinging the jaws 9 and 10 together, the pin 19 and thesquared portion 21 of the pin 21 will travel into the curved slot- 18,the head 22 of the pin 21 overlapping the edges of the slot and bearingthereagainst.

The pins 19 and 21 may be held in different positions within the slot 18by screwing down the wing nut- 20 against the edges AU jLlLLL may byinse 20. The hanele is thus L e plate or 9 and may be swung in 01 positedirections either side of the plate or w. A similar handle bent to f -non .y resilie t or desired they may be gr and the intermidiate por tigether or contracted when grn Jen erecy 1 L prevent'ng the hands fromsl'pp'ng when pulling on the handles.

In the operation of the present invention is vill be understood that theusual incisions are made in the flesh of the limb to be ainputated so asto expose the bone as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3, and permit theflesh to be laid back away from the point where the saw cut is to bemade. The handles 2e and 28 are thereupon grasped after loosening thewing nut 20, and the jaws 9 and 10 swung apart sufficiently to permitthe same to be inserted over the bone 39. By manipulating the handlesthe jaws are swung together to cause the pin 19 and the headed pin 21 topass into the slot 18. The jaws are swung together in overlappingrelation until the communicating notches 11 and 12 conform loosely tothe shape of the bone. Thereupon the wing nut 20 is tightened so as toclamp the ends 16 and 17 of the jaws firmly together in fixed position.The handles 24: and 28 are then grasped by the surgeon and by pullingrearwardly onthese handles the flesh, as indicated at 30. is retractedor held back from the point 31 where thebone is to be sawed. It will benoted that the plates 9 and 10 are concave on the inside, whichconstruction enables the flesh to be retracted more readily. By virtueof the elongated slots or recesses 11 or 12 and the overlapping of oneplate 9 upon the other, it is possible to adjust the retractor to anysize bone. Furthermore where amputation of the forearm is to be effectedthe jaws may be readily adjustedto permit the communicating notches orrecesses 11 and 12 to embrace both bones of the forearm. The

adjustment of the free ends of the jaws by means of the pin and slotconnection is particularly advantageous since the entire device may becontrolled merely by grasping and manipulating the handles 2 1 and 28.,with the exception of tightening or loosening the wing nut 20 which isin such position exteriorly of the retractor as to permit it to beconveniently and quickly manipulated by the surgeon. Furthermore it willbe observed that by virtue of the fact that the exterior face of theretractor is convex in shape the projecting wing nut 20 will be locatedentirely out of the way of the saw wnen making the saw cut close to thecentral part of the retractor as indicated in Fig. 3.

As hereinbefore stated the retractor is preferably formed from metallicplates, and

in order to reduce materially the weight of the device these plates arepreferably provideo. with perforations 32. It will be also noted fromthe foregoing construction'that connecting together the jaws9 and 10 inex rlapping relation, and by releasably connecting the free ends of thejaws at two points by means of the headed pin 21 and the wing nut 20,the resistance strength of the retractor is considerably increased, and

any tendency of the jaws to separate where considerable leverage isplaced thereon is prevented.

it is to be understood that by describing in detail herein anyparticular form, structure or arrangement, it is not intended to limitthe invention beyond the terms ofthe several claims or the requirementsof the prior art.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described away of constructing and using the same although without attempting toset forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modesof its use, I claim:

1. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of concaved substantiallysemi-circular plates pivotally connected at one end for swingingmovement into overlapping relation at the opposite end, whereby they areadjustable for various sizes of bone without the separation of the endsof said plates, means for detachably securing said plates together inclosed position against swinging movement, said plates forming whenclosed a central opening adapted to embrace the bone of the limb.

2. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of concaved substantiallysemi-circular plates pivotally connected at oneend for swinging movementinto overlapping relation at the opposite end, whereby they areadjustable for various sizes of bone without the separation of the endsof said plates, means for detachably securing said plates together inclosed position against swinging movement, said plates forming whenclosed a central opening adapted to embrace the bone of the limb, and apair of handles connected one to each plate intermediate its ends.

3. A surgical retracto-r comprising a pair of concaved substantiallysemi-circular plates pivotally connected at one end for swingingmovement into overlapping relation at the opposite end, whereby they areadjustable for various sizes of bone without the separation of the endsof said plates, means fordetachably securing said plates together inclosed position against swinging movement, said plates forming whenclosed a central opening adapted to embrace the bone of the limb, and apair of handles connected one to each plate intermediate its ends, saidhandles being shiftable transversely of the plane of the plates.

4. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of plates pivotally connectedat one end and each having a substantially semi-circular opening formingtherebetween a bone-1e ceiving opening, means for detachably securingthe opposite ends of the plates together, and a handle carried by eachplate between and spaced from the pivoted and meeting ends thereof.

5. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of concaved plates, eachhaving a semi-circular opening forming therebetween a bonereceivingopening, said plates bein pivotally connected at one end, means fordetachably and adjustably securing the opposite ends of the platestogether, and a handle carried by each of said plates substantiallymidway between its pivoted and meeting ends.

6. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of concaved plates, eachhaving a semi-circular opening forming therebetween a bonereceivingopening, said plates being pivotally connected at one end, means fordetachably and adjustably securing the opposite ends of the platestogether, and a handle carried by each of said plates substantiallymidway between its pivoted and meeting ends, said handles beingshiftable in opposite directions transversely of the plane of the plate.

7 A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantially semi-circularplates pivotally connected at one end and forming therebetween 4 abone-receiving opening, means for detachably and adjustably securing theopposite ends of the plates together in overlapping relation, and a pairof loopformed handles carried by said plates.

8. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantially semi-circularplates pivotally connected at one end and forming therebetween abone-receiving opening, means for detachably and adjustably securing theopposite ends of the plates together in overlapping relation, and a pairof loop-formed handles carried by said plates, each locatedsubstantially midway between the endsof its plate. p

9. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantially semi-circularplates pivotally connected at one end and forming therebetween abone-receiving opening, means for detachably and adjustably securing theopp'osite ends of the plates together in overlapping relation, and apair of loop-formed handles carried by said plates, each locatedsubstantially midway between the ends of its plate, said handles beingcompressible and shiftable in opposite directions transversely of theplane of the plates.

10. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantiallysemi-circular plates pivotally connected at one end for swingingmovement into overlapping engagement at the opposite end and formingtherebet-ween 'an adjustable bone-receiving opening without theseparation of the ends of the plates, and fastening means carried by thefree end of one plate, the free end of the other plate having a curvedslot for the reception of said fastening means for adjustably securingsaid plat-es together.

11. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantiallysemi-circular plates pivotally connected at one end for swingingmovement into overlapping engagement at the opposite end and formingtherebetween an adjustable bone-receiving opening without the separationof the ends of the. plates, fastening means carried by the free end ofone plate, the free end of the other plate having a curved slot for thereception of said fastening means for adjustably securing said platestogether, and a handle carried by each of said plates between and spacedfrom the pivoted and free ends thereof.

12. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantially semicircularplates pivotally connected at one end for swinging movement intooverlapping engagement at the opposite end and forming therebetween anadjustable bone-receiving opening without the separation of the ends ofthe plates, fastening means carried by the free end of one plate, thefree end of the other plate having a curved slot for the reception ofsaid fastening means for adjustably securing said plates together, and ahandle carried by each of said plates between and spaced from thepivoted and free ends thereof and comprising a loopformed resilientmember.

13. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of substantially U-shapedplates pivotally connected together at one end for swinging movementinto overlapping relation at the opposite end thereby to form anadjustable bone-receiving opening therebetween without the separation ofthe ends of the plates, and means for detachably and adjustablyconnecting said overlapping ends and comprising a pair of projectionscarried by one of said plates and a slot carried by the other plate forthe reception of said projections.

14. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of concaved plates pivotedtogether at one end for swinging movement into meeting engagement at theopposite end and forming therebetween an adjustable bonereceivingopening, means for manipulating the plates, and means independent ofsaid manipulating means for adjustably and positively securing theplates in differentfixed positions to vary the size of the openmg.

15. A surgical retractor comprising a pair of limb-embracing plates,means for pivotally connecting the plates together at one end forswinging movement into overlapping position at the opposite end, andmeans located away from the overlappingends of the plates formanipulating said plates to shift the same relatively to the bone toretract the flesh.

Signed at New York, New York, this 4th day of April 1924.

EDlVARD NEWTON TURKUS.

